NASA to Mars 2030

"Interest in sending humans to Mars I think has never been higher. We now stand on the precipice of a second opportunity to press forward to what I think is man’s destiny — to step onto another planet." NASA chief Charles Bolden at theHumans 2 Mars Summit at George Washington University. (May 6-8 2013)

Yet the road to Mars is long and challenging, and the difficulties are scientific, technological, political and economic,”

“Sending astronauts to the Red Planet” (as President Barack Obama has directed NASA to do and to land humans on Mars by the 2030s) “will likely require at least three missions: one to launch the crew and the vehicle that will take them to Mars, one to launch the habitat humans will live on at the planet’s surface, and one to launch the vehicle that will lift off from Mars to take the crew home,“ said Doug Cooke, a former NASA associate administrator for the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate who now heads a space consulting firm.

"To me this is one of the biggest challenges,"Mike Raftery, director of space station utilization and exploration at Boeing, the primary contractor for NASA’s heavy-lift rocket being developed to go to Mars. "We have to essentially land a launch pad on the surface that’s then ready to launch the crew back to Earth.”

This will be no small challenge as to date, NASA has been unable to land more than 1 metric ton at a time on the surface of Mars — the Curiosity Rover. With a total 200 to 400 metric tons of equipment requiring delivery to the surface of Mars after being launched from Earth at the rate of 40 metric tons per trip, clearly this could prove problematic.

Engineers will have to develop a means to shield the Mars crews from dangerous radiation both en-route and on the surface of the Red Planet where the atmosphere is too thin to shield them as it does on Earth. They will also have to bring their own life-support systems, medicine, food, communications systems and navigation equipment.

"It’s very likely that we’ll send some kind of lander or rover to the site we want to send people to first, to drill a couple meters down to tell us if we have fresh water," said John Grunsfeld, associate administrator for NASA’s science mission directorate. Such a spacecraft could also serve as a beacon to guide the crewed lander down to the chosen spot on Mars.

"We’re going to have to rely on being able to live off the land," said James Reuther of NASA’s Office of the Chief Technologist. "Those will require significant technology investments in order to actually bring that about."

Explore Mars.Org

Despite the challenges involved, many NASA and industry experts expressed confidence it can be done. In the words of Artemis Westenberg, president of Explore Mars Inc., the non-profit space advocacy group that organized the conference:

"In the coming days we have the opportunity to write history, to determine the future of humankind. We of Explore Mars give you this platform of this three-day summit. Now all you have to do is tell each other and the world the ‘how’ of getting to Mars.”(via Space.com)

Mars One 2016

The organisers of the Mars One project (a Dutch group, led by Bas Lansdorp, a researcher from the Netherlands with a Masters in Science from Delft University of Technology) think they have the answers to this quandary. They have seemingly jumped ahead of NASA, announcing ambitious plans to, “execute the first fully commercial campaign of human exploration and development of Mars,”and have high hope of establishing the first settlers of a Mars colony by 2023.

By 2016 they intend to send a communications satellite to the Red Planet, following it up with additional time phased flights across succeeding years, before the actual landing of a foundation crew of permanent Mars colonists. The optimistic claim on their website states that:

“Mars One will establish the first human settlement on Mars in 2023. A habitable settlement will be waiting for the settlers when they land.”

Following the establishment of the foundation crew on the Red Planet, an additional group of new settlers will be sent to join them on a regular two-yearly basis, thereby expanding the colony.

“SSTL believes that the commercialization of space exploration is vital in order to bring down the costs and schedules. Mars-One is an imaginative venture making use of existing technology and SSTL is highly motivated to support this initiative,” Sir Martin Sweeting, Founder and Executive Chairman of SSTL.

“I believe that the endeavour holds great promise and Paragon is prepared to manufacture and integrate the Mars One life support, thermal control, and space suit systems,”Jane Poynter, President and Chairwoman at Paragon Space Development Corporation

The cost of launching the initial crew of four Martian colonists and landing them on the Red Planet, in addition to the utilisation of the SpaceX Falcon Heavy launcher, will involve costs in the region of $6 billion, according to Mars One. Besides building their environment the colonists will also be tasked with answering questions regarding the on-going mystery of whether life in fact does exist on Mars and also the history of the neighbouring planet.

Astronaut selections (40 in total will be chosen) for the first manned Mars mission have already begun and applications have rolled in, in vast numbers. Potential applicants should however remember; this is a one-way trip! Mars One has no plans and no way of bringing you back! You will never set foot on Earth again…you will never breathe the air of Earth again…and you certainly won’t be able to Skype your friends and family!

34 responses to “Roll up! Roll up! 2023: Martian Inhabitants Wanted!”

I was just talking to my oldest child about this yesterday – saying we would never set foot on Mars – or at least I wouldn’t – my oldest has no interest in going there it seems – I would like to though, but just too damn old…

I would go because they will clearly need a shrink on Mars, but I’m too busy leading the Hollerites on our covert alien invasion of earth.
Seriously, I had a fellow shrink colleague, whose tried to make a specialty out of therapy in outer space. He wrote a book about it. I made the mistake of telling this story to my accountant and for years she would file my tax return with occupation listed as Psychospace Therapist. When I protested and said their shouldn’t be the word space in the phrase (after all no one wants to trifle with the IRS except my accountant) she changed it to what it is now. Psycho Therapist.
I think it fits. Do you think it fits?
I know outer space will be odd and all, but if you want to see really odd, you must visit The Holler!
As usual. Love everyone of your brilliant and fascinating posts!
Hugs to Wolfie~

Absolutely no doubt they will need a shrink on Mars, you should definitely go! Preferably before the Hollerite Invasion of Earth occurs🙂 I think lol that the title of Psycho space therapist fits perfectly! Wonderful! lol😉

Y’know, call me a bimbo, but I consistently fail to see the whole point, logic and hype of travelling to other planets – but then again, if all the nutters go (politicians, drug company ‘overlords’, bankers, media tycoons, etc), then earth will be a pretty wonderful place to live all of a sudden, I should think.

I rather think Mars will eat any intrepid settlers from Earth alive and spit them out before they have chance to damage it like has been done to the homeworld though🙂 Maybe once they realise that they will as you suggest channel their drive into their own world instead🙂

Maybe the problem is the.sense that this planet is beyond redemption. It’s not possible for it to sustain the results of our uncontrolled, rampant breeding for very much longer. Humans are selfish and arrogant in their god-like attitude to unsustainable breeding being a right exclusive to our species at the expense of every other, flora and fauna included. For many a new start on a fresh new world, a clean slate to start over and maybe right some of the wrongs created on Earth would be a welcome opportunity and the chance of a better life. It’s never too late to start over.but it may well be too little too late for Earth. Thanks for calling in!

Well now, I can certainly understand some people wanting to run away to Mars, as it would appear to be a brilliant means of avoiding the debt collectors. However, at the costs quoted, I’d think it easier to find a nice little place on beautiful planet earth in which to hide out. Can’t say I’d be too enthusiastic about leaving the beauty here for a desolate desert environment. Gosh, with only a handful of people there, blogging would be an utter waste of time. How sad would that be!

There’s probably no WordPress in route or on Mars either. Forget it! I’m just not interested.
Great post Wolfie! Pictures and facts are really good but there’s everything that would turn me off to this long distance flight.
I have trouble deciding if I want to go out for dinner. with love, Eddie

As always Wolfie, your well informative post grabs my attention, And wonder why NASA is pushing so hard to land and inhabit Mars, Could it be they already know our planets resources will dry up or could the thirst for more mineral mining be on their agenda, I just wish they would pour as much time, effort and money into projects of our own planets conservation Wolfie… As I see us within a downward spiral as we have bled our own resources dry…
What makes me equally sad is that I know there are very good alternative Bio fuels out there, but the profit kings rule the roost… I can only say it would take some very brave astronauts to train for that mission .. That is unless NASA don’t already hold a secret up their sleeves in Time Travelling😉 … Which would not surprise me at all..🙂🙂

Ultimately Earth will take care of itself, just as it did for billions of years before humans appeared on its face. It is humans who are running scared of their own fate now they’ve messed up on this world. We talk about saving the planet but that will take care of itself…what we really mean is saving ourselves from extinction which is what would happen if Earth takes on the role if self preservation. We won’t mess up Mars anytime soon because its harsh environment would wipe us out in moments. So! Perhaps it is is simply the inborn spirit of adventure and exploration, and a desire to learn and understand that drives the call to travel and visit new worlds. One of the biggest problems on Earth is there are far too many of us. Irresponsible breeding like we see on Earth and the using up of Earth’s resources wouldn’t happen on Mars…the sterilising effect of radiation en-route there would make sure there was no population explosion on Mars🙂. Wolfie hugs xx

Big smiles Wolfie, and I agree whole heartedly in the Mother Nature will reclaim her own back.. And that we humans will be a distant memory if we do not alter our ways and work with her instead of against her..
having read your comment Wolfie, Mars sounds just the place for a few humans who inhabit our planet!😉 …my friend….😀

I beleive there is fresh water on mars, plus a lot of other things we will probably find very useful later on🙂 Just a thought though fromsomeone who knows close to nothing about the planets that surround us🙂

Wow what a fangtastic posting Icywolfy
and the graphics are truly awesome🙂🙂
I didn’t get any updates for this one sooo
I am sorry for being late on such a well
informed posting😦 I will be calling back
again on the morrow to have another full
read of this one, and make a more lengthy
comment too as I am just about to leave
for the evening. Your posts are brilliant🙂

I have just read it again and what a wonderful posting🙂
It has lots of excitement, and with so many brilliant images
added it really enhances the feeling of the read🙂 Thank
you for always adding such awesome posts Icywolfy🙂🙂

It has indeed Andro🙂 I hope you had the coffin lid nailed down tight during the brightest spells…vampires don’t do well with sunburn!
Not getting much chance to leave comments on posts right now. Got exams, revision and a race against the clock to finish everything by months end. Enjoy your day too🙂 xx

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Ice wolves of Europa. Intergalactic star wolves running with the moon and the stars in the light of another world. Callers of the moon wolves-song and interstellar hunters across the icy surface of the Europan seas. Echoing the call of an alien world and the whispering of the moonshadows, the call of the star songs, and the dream of worlds beyond the stars and cities in the sky.